Droid Engineer Archive

Ok, after seeing TH's post about how a cert system won't work because of an uber character I decided to compile a listing of all of the required skill points for each combat profession and list them here. On a side note, I am a game designer, hobby until someone decides to hire me, so I do understand the concept of game balance and the prevention of uber players.

Now for the data from most expensive to least

BH 217
Commando 169
SL 135
Smuggler 121
CH 106
Carbineer 92
Fencer 92
Pikeman 92
Rifleman 92
Swordsman 92
TKA 92
And for reference,
DE 92.

Now with 250 skill points How many are left over
BH 33
Commando 81
SL 115
Smuggler 129
CH 144
Carbineer(and the rest) 158

Now the cost for an elite profession is 63 skill points,
so BH couldn't pick up anything extra.

Commando has the entire Marksman tree, so a commando could pick up Pistoleer, Carbineer, or Rifleman.

SL could pick up any one of the ligher(92 point) combat professions, or CH.

Smuggler could pick up Pistoleer and TKA, or any one of the lighter(92 pts) combat professions, or CH.

CH could pick up any one of the lighter(92 pt) combat professions, or Smuggler, or SL.

And as for the lighter (92 pt) combat professions They can pick up any other ligher combat profession, or CH, or SL, or Smuggler. And the marksman based ones could pick up Commando.

That's it for the data.

Thunderheart, if you read this please pass the data along to the rest of the devs.


Now for my analysis with regards to DH, or whatever it's going to be called.

If it's made similiar to CH in skill point usage, then the only classes to get the benefit of uber combat droids are the lesser combat professions, smuggler, CH, and SL. Which will then make them possibly as powerfull as Commando and BH, or more powerfull. And really which should you fear more, a sniper with a droid, or Boba Fett? So I don't think this is entirely balanced. This is because the less skill point intensive combat professions are there to allow versatility in what you can do, in addition to decent combat ability. Whereas classes like BH and Commando are for sheer damage potential. And they rely on others for the versatility.

As for any better idea, I don't have one. The certification idea while it sounds good to the players does not sound so good to the devs. Giving all the elite combat professions a master level certification to use any combat droid of a given level amounts to buffing up all of the creatures, or nerfing the professions and/or weapons. Either way it means like TH said the combat professions *have* to use droids to end up at their previous potential. If you give the certification only to the lower skill point cost combat classes you have the same problem as with a DH class. And if you give it to the high end, then they become even more powerfull. And thus you have to make creatures more buff.

Anyway I look at it I don't see a real good solution to this combat droid problem. What I see happening is that with the uber droids coming in we don't really see the "Droid Invasion".

Good data - you should definitely cross post this to Thunderheart's thread.

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Shian_Tavkin wrote:

Hi

Just a comment but the figure of 92 for DE is only inclusive of Engineering4, the total with the (almost) obligatory MA is 135

Not that I expect it matters, and no doubt I'll be told it isnt neccessary, but operationally it is a requirement until the insane reliance in MA parts is addressed.

Thats all

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From what I hear from some of the other professions it is being addressed, though not in the direction you want. I know chefs (not sure about the others) are getting an increased level of dependence on others. I doubt you'll be seeing a reduction in reliance, and just feel lucky that, unlike some of the other dependences, ours are almost entirely MA as opposed to some which are getting droid storage devices. I think the profession interdependencies is a great thing, but thats just my opinion.